Will Laura’s law finally get a chance here?

Our society needs to use what tools it has to deal with the most troubled of the many people suffering from mental illness. In California, one such tool is Laura’s Law, which allows authorities on a county-by-county basis to mandate outpatient treatment and use of medication for the seriously mentally ill who refuse care and have a history of psychiatric incidents. Unfortunately, the law is only used as intended in Nevada County.

Now San Diego County is considering using this tool. This week, county supervisors ordered a 90-day audit of how the county deals with the severely mentally ill, with the goal an empirical analysis of whether Laura’s Law would help authorities better deal with the problem. Supervisors Dave Roberts and Dianne Jacob deserve credit for pushing for the audit.

The Laura cited in the law’s name is Laura Wilcox, a Nevada County mental-health clinic worker who was shot to death in 2001 by a deranged man who had run-ins with his family and doctors over his treatment.

Nevada County says the law is working well. A similar New York state law is credited with reducing hospitalizations. When the county audit is complete, we hope these facts are also considered in deciding whether to implement Laura’s Law here.